Email This Story to a Friend

UCLA, Northwestern, & McMaster Win Most Vegan-Friendly Top Spots

After thousands of votes, dozens of campus newspaper articles, and a whole lot of mouth watering, the top winners in this year's Most Vegan-Friendly Colleges competition have finally be announced!

Congrats to all of the winning schools. Your students thank you, and if they could, so would the animals whose lives will be spared as a result of your delicious vegan cuisine!

Large U.S. Schools

#1) UCLA Seen by many as the college epicenter of the animal rights debate, it should come as no surprise that UCLA is also the national leader when it comes to vegan dining. Food-services representatives regularly meet and dine out with members of the student organization Bruins for Animals to solicit feedback on how they can improve dining options. The university offers dozens of vegan entrées, including vegan lasagne, veggie chicken fingers, vegan barbecue beef with roasted vegetables, and vegan chili cheese dogs. Students can end the meal on a sweet note with a vegan cappuccino cookie or choose something wholesome like a Morning Glory Muffin. Indeed, competition for vegan diners in Los Angeles is steep, but with so many delicious and eco-conscious choices available, UCLA students really have no need to leave campus.

#2) New York University Considering how many exciting opportunities and dining establishments surround NYU's Manhattan campus, keeping students on campus can be a daunting task. Thankfully, the school has managed to stay ahead of the trends by offering delicious and affordable vegan meals that neighboring restaurants are struggling to keep pace with. Designated vegan stations in every dining hall serve up delicious dishes such as vegan grilled barbecue tofu, fettuccine with vegan tomato artichoke Alfredo, vegan sloppy Joes, and vegan white bean and eggplant casserole, keeping students at the largest private university in the U.S. coming back time and time again.

#3) Ohio University A regular on our list over the past several years, Ohio University just keeps getting better and better! The rural college town of Athens, Ohio, is seriously overflowing with big city-style vegan options, with a strong emphasis on vegan versions of meat-heavy classics. Protein-packed meals such as vegan chicken parmesan, a tofu Reuben sandwich, and Tofurky Italian sausages would satisfy even the most ardent carnivore. Heck, the school even offers veggie "fish" tacos! Those seeking Asian- influenced cuisine will be blown away by the vegan orange chicken with broccoli, vegan teriyaki beef with udon noodles, and veggie moo goo gai pan over rice. Go, Bobcats!

#4) University of Colorado, Boulder Located in the picturesque and progressive city of Boulder, Colorado, at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the University of Colorado--or CU--may well be heaven. Snowboarding students can start the day off right with a warm plate of tofu scramble and hash browns to ensure that they'll have enough energy to get through the day. And protein-packed dishes like spicy barbecue tempeh, Indian aloo mutter, vegan pizzas, Italian seitan, and vegetable pot stickers keep students healthy and happy, whether they're busy studying or riding the slopes.

#5) University of California, Davis In what may come as a surprise to some readers (but not students on campus), UC Davis appears to be shattering its agricultural-school stereotype and is entering into a new era of Earth-friendly dining that is establishing the university as an institution that's ready to cater to the next generation. The school promotes meat-free eating on Mondays, operates a Vegan Corner in each resident dining hall, and runs a student advisory group that samples and approves new menu items. Vegan seitan fajitas, vegan cupcakes, seitan au vin, coconut chocolate vegan ice cream, and the "Vegan Aggie Burger" are just a few of the dining choices that mix old traditions with new ethics as students prepare to enter into a world that's more compassionate and eco-conscious than ever.